Tarot Cards Fail to Predict Car Crashing Through Wall
Years ago, back when I was into all sorts of occult things, I lived just up the street from a shop called Ancient Ways. It was, and still is, a hub of occult/pagan/metaphysical stuff in the Bay Area. The store carries all sorts of magical supplies and gives lessons on how to perform feats of magic and do various kinds of fortune-telling.
All of which makes me wonder... with all of those protective talismans and fortune tellers and wizards lurking about, how would they miss an upcoming car crashing through the wall of the store on Thanksgiving? You'd think somebody's psychic spirit guide would have given a word of warning. Wouldn't something like that show up in your crystal ball at some point?
Nonetheless, a car came through the wall of the shop this past Thanksgiving. Thankfully, nobody got hurt... but a good deal of merchandise that was shelved along the wall was apparently damaged. I don't suppose the spirits provided enough warning for those who operate the place to move their stuff out of the way. The funny part of it to me is that the shop is still giving tarot card readings and instructions on how to practice ceremonial magic.
I mean, just because you don't foresee an automobile plowing through the place, that doesn't mean you can't tell the future or alter reality through supernatural intervention or sheer force of will, right?
I've screen-captured the current homepage of the store announcing the unforeseen accident as well as the lessons on how to be a psychic and/or wizard... right on the same page! It's a pretty big heap of woo, particularly considering that one might conclude that the woo doesn't work from the empirical course of events. I know, I know, "magick doesn't work that way." I can't begin to count how many times occultists of various stripes explained away the lack of reproducible results that way. I'm guilty of having engaged in that bit of wooful apologetics myself.
